He is accused of killing his famous parents. Now he wants their money to pay his lawyers.

Nick Reiner is asking a court to release $750,000 of his trust fund to pay for a top defense lawyer while on trial for murder.

Trusting your child with your legacy is the ultimate act of love. But what happens when that same child is accused of taking your life?

WHAT HAPPENED

Nick Reiner, 32, is on trial for the murder of his parents, famous director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele. Police found their bodies in their $20 million Los Angeles home last December.

Now, Nick is fighting a legal battle to get his hands on his $1.5 million trust fund. He wants $750,000 of it right now to pay his legal bills.

His private lawyer, Alan Jackson, quit the case because Nick could not pay him. This left Nick with a public defender while his trust fund sits locked away.

WHAT THE MONEY/EVIDENCE SHOWS

The trust fund contains $1.5 million set aside by Rob and Michele Reiner.

• Nick was set to get half at age 30 and the other half at age 35.
• Trustee Paul Kanin is withholding the funds, citing worries about Nick's mental competence.
• Nick is 32 years old, meaning he has reached the first age mark.
• Nick faces life in prison or the death penalty for two counts of first-degree murder.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

This case forces us to look at a strange legal loop. Should a person be allowed to use their victims' money to defend themselves against the murder charge?

If the trust belongs to Nick, withholding it strips him of his right to the best defense. Yet, releasing it feels like letting him benefit from a terrible crime before a jury has even spoken.

THE OTHER SIDE

Nick's lawyers argue that the money belongs to him by law, and keeping it hurts his defense. They say the trustee is paying other lawyers to stall, which eats up Nick's money.

This argument is strong on paper because the trust rules say he owns the money at age 30, but the trustee's duty to protect the funds makes it a complex fight.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

If the court denies the money, Nick will go to trial with a public defender. This could change the outcome of a trial where his life is on the line.

For regular people, it shows how wealth can complicate the justice system, making a fair trial depend heavily on who controls the bank accounts.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

1. Why did the trustee wait until the murder charges to question Nick's ability to manage the money?
2. Will a judge rule that the slayer rule applies to a trust fund before a criminal trial is over?
3. What evidence does the trustee have about Nick's mental state that allows him to block the funds?